Red Daughter

"We are a people of hope, not war." -Supergirl of Earth-89

The new day dawned, Batman was flying the Batwing over the dimming dark skies and dark waters. Before they left in the evening and arrived in the Black Site in Siberia just shy of the sunrise. This time there a day early, in the previous timeline Barry, like in this timeline got his powers the night before and slept till the afternoon when Zod made his message to the world forcing both Barrys to seek the help of Batman by traveling to Gotham. This time Batman and The Flash were already enroute to the Black Site to save Supergirl.

Batman had locked in the coordinates and put the Batwing on auto pilot so he could read through the redacted files NASA had on the asteroid that crash landed bringing Supergirl to their world. Batman flipped through the report and saw some redacted ramblings of soil analysis from the pod, the subsequent capture and detainment of an extraterrestrial life form, and something else that caught Batman's eye in the report: a metallic crystal? Batman leaned back, closing the file wondering what its significance was.

Batman also wondered, given Supergirl's abilities, how a mercenary group was able to subdue, capture, and keep her contained all these years. Last time, Batman rushed the operation but now that he has a better understanding of what's going on and what the Kryptonains are capable of he is going to take a closer look at their faculty as they free Supergirl.

Batman heard some scribbling on paper. Batman glances up looking through the windshield at Barry's reflection as he sits in the seat jotting down some notes with his mask off looking frustrated as he mumbles to himself.

"Come on, think Barry, every problem has a solution. If Batman avoids the gunship and the space giant and focuses on the smaller ships taking out their air power. That will free me up to quickly disarm these Kryptonains, give their weapons to the soldiers, then I can save time here, take down the space giant like I did before, but then Kara is left open to be ganged up on by Mistress Murder and Zod, but if I take out Mistress Murder like I did before…no I'll arrive too late to save Kara and…" Barry makes an angry face banging the back of his head on the seat frustrated.

Batman just watches Barry's reflection silently. Batman looked into Barry's eyes and saw how truly desperate he was. Barry was under alot of stress due to what was about to come and after witnessing over and over the price of failure Batman knew Barry was determined to succeed this time around no matter the cost. He would be a Barry who didn't hold back and would allow himself to not have limits or have his actions restricted by morality or rules. This deeply concerned Batman for a number of reasons.

Barry's internal struggle and the dangerous path he could take by letting his obsession to save them take control. This demonstrated a destructive potential of Barry's obsession and guilt for not being able to save them and their world. He was putting all the pressure and responsibility of keeping them alive and saving their world all on himself and Barry was drowning in the grief of it all.

This only reinforced Batman's belief that Barry had not and will not come to terms with what's about to happen. Barry's obsession with changing the past, saving them form their inevitable failure, that pain and that loss he would go through again was a recipe for a monster. Batman saw it as inevitable as them losing the war to come. Batman was deeply worried Barry may try to view himself differently then the older Barry free from the boundaries and morality that normally governs them.

This would allow Barry to explore extremes the other versions of Barry would refuse to consider. Batman foresaw the danger of the absence of limits for self-destruction and chaos in his Barry. Batman saw Barry becoming so desperate that he would defy the laws of reality and morality to achieve what he believes is right.

Batman realized he needed Barry to reconcile with their present and their impending doom. Without resolution Batman saw Barry going down a path of destruction becoming something twisted and dark. Before Batman could say anything to comfort Barry a beeping sound went off alerting Batman they were here. So Batman tucked the file away, turned off the autopilot and told Barry they were here.

Barry nods, setting his notes aside and grabbing his mask to put back on. Hoover mode was activated, and the ejector seats lowered them out the Batwing and like before Batman slips out of his seat free falling to the ground expanding his cape into wings gliding to the snow and icy ground. The Flash in his blue and white costume parachutes to the ground meeting up with Batman as they begin their approach to the Black Site.

Batman pulls out his thermal binoculars from his belt scanning the facility for heat signatures as he glances over the Red Star of Russia plastered on the side of the facility. Batman told The Flash since they arrived almost a day sooner this time around there were guards outside and the coast was not clear. They would have to becareful this time around and sneak in.

The Flash nods. Batman takes out his grappling hook shooting a line to the top of the mountain cliff. The Flash runs up it to the top. Batman sling shots to the top performing an amazing superhero landing in the snow getting back to his feet.

Batman looked up to see blue lighting and a blue blur zipping around the compound taking out all the guards. This annoyed Batman, he should have been more clear with Barry, now if the guards don't radio in, they are going to know something is up and go into lock down. There wasn't much time so Batman stormed off. The Flash sped over to where Batman was seeing him disappear around the corner.

"Batman?" The Flash called out looking around.

The Flash just shakes his head super speeding down the hole to the lower area of the facility into the lab portion of the prison like before. However, unlike before, the alarm had already gone off like Batman's fear from the guards not checking in or from Barry getting caught on a blur on the cameras. Regardless of the reasoning, as soon as The Flash had climbed down the stairs he was greeted with firing squad.

The Flash used his speeds to dodge all the bullets then ran around the room knocking out the security force. As he did this another group came in with full automatic weapons and opened fire forcing The Flash to run behind a steel beam where they caught him off on either side laying down suppressing fire keeping him trapped. The Flash entered flash time where he is moving so fast it looks like time has slowed almost to a stop as he desperately looks around for a way out when he sees Batman on the top of the rafters.

"This is going to hurt." Batman said leaping down gliding to the ground floor knocking out the machine gunners and then grabbing the last one gliding up in the air and coming back down hard slamming him into the ground.

The Flash peaks around the corner and watches in a stunning display of ruthless brawling skills Batman beats the hell out of all the guards with a various series of movements, punches, kicks, and the use of his batarangs and grapple gun. The Flash never would grow tired of seeing Batman in action in all his glory.

Despite his age no human on this Earth seemed to be a match for his Batman let alone his physical equal. The Flash watched Batman hurl a guy through the glass window of the lab then backed up into a pillar after being grabbed by the last guard who Batman dealt with quickly hurled a batarang to break his hold and finished him off with a roundhouse kick.

"Let's go." Batman ordered in a dark voice watching The Flash poke his head around the steel pillar nodding. Batman just narrows his eyes at him and was about to walk down the service tunnel when he took a second glance at the circular room to see the labs that surrounded him and the fearful scientist. The Flash walked up to Batman.

"Hold on, why does a facility with one prisoner need a lab?" Batman asked out loud.

"Now that you mentioned it…" The Flash looks around seeing the scientist rushing out and some destroying their work.

The Flash uses his super speed and phases through the various rooms zipping around looking at what they were studying and researching. Batman watched the blue blur zip around before sliding back to his side, handing him some papers saying he couldn't read their notes since it was all in russian. Batman flipped through some of their notes that The Flash brought him and saw a picture of a metallic crystal and another image of blood being broken down.

"Then there was this thing?" The Flash said holding up a green metallic like crystal shard.

Batman takes a look at it and some of the papers then looks over at the lab dropping the papers and taking the crystal hopping through the broken lab window. Batman walks through the lab asking The Flash to show him where he found it. Once in the room Batman saw samples of Kara's blood but as he drew close the crystal glowed ever so slightly as if responding to Kara's blood.

Batman looked up to see over at the blood. He grabbed a sample and put it under the microscope to see that it weakened and broke down her cells as he held it close to the sample. Batman took a step back looking at the metallic crystal. The Flash gave him a curious look.

"What is it Batman?" The Flash inquired.

"This green shard weakens Kryptonian cells. This is how they captured her, it must give off some kind of radiation that weakens them." Batman said outloud.

"How? What is it? It looks just like an ordinary rock or crystal to me." The Flash told him. Batman flashes back to the file and soil analysis and Barry calling it a rock.

"It's a piece of her homeworld, of Krypton…" Batman explained attaching the crystal to his belt. They heard more guards coming and decided to leave the area.

They make it down the winding hall to the big encompassing circular room to where Kara was being kept prisoner. The Flash remembered the combination from before but when he tried it he got denied. The Flash had a confused look on his face. Batman explained they must change the password every day if not every hour, or guard rotation.

Batman reaches into his belt pulling out a flip phone and plugs it into the system only to find the system is in lockdown and they wont be able to open it like before Batman explains to The Flash. The Flash walks up the steps placing his hand on the containment object that held Kara. The Flash looks over at Batman and signals him over. Batman approaches then The Flash grabs him and phases them through the wall and into Kara's cell.

Once inside Batman pulls out a flashlight looking around the room as they look for Kara. Batman shines the light on Supergirl's costume on the floor. The Flash picks it up, lifting up his chest piece of his suit and stuffing it in there before locking it back down in place. Batman approaches around the corner and sees Kara on the ground shivering and in pain. Batman notices she is scrawny, boney, and she not only had indented holes going down her back but she had other injuries as well. They were able to physically hurt her? How? Batan wondered.

The Flash came around the other corner seeing Kara on the ground like that in her prisoner garb, battered, beaten, and tortured looking filled Barry with an intense rage for the Russians and a deep concern for her. How dare they do and treat her like this Barry thought to himself.

How ignorant could these Russians be? If they were smart they should have put her in a home with a family that loved her, not in a cell with mercenaries guarding her. She could have grown up to be Russia's greatest superhero. The Red Daughter of Russia. The Soviet Supergirl. That was a scary thought maybe in another universe and another timeline, but not this one the Flash thought.

The Flash carefully walks over to her bending down with her looking up weakly at him covered in dirt and sweat. The Flash smiles softly at her and carefully scopes her up in his arms. Batman just stares at him, noticing the love and concern on his face for her.

"We have her. We gotta go." Batman orders in a rough voice but as they are about to leave the room the grid lights up in a red light. Batman stops and this time takes a closer look at the red light on the grid and realizes there are not only UV lights you would give to grow plants but it's filtered to be red.

Why red? Batman thinks, then he thinks back to the battle and how the Kryptonians were powerful under Earth's yellow sun. Then Batman turns around and gives Kara another look over at her bruised body and realizes the truth. If the yellow sun gave them their abilities then a red sun must take it away. That's how they were able to contain her and keep her prisoner, her Batman realized as he stared at her.

They get to the door and The Flash phases them through the door as they make their way back down the service hall. It made more sense now as Batman looked around at all the red lighting. lighting up the hall. It wasn't just standard military decorum, it was filtered red UV light meant to keep Supergirl depowered if by some chance she did escape her cell, they kept her so far into the ground the light of the yellow sun would not reach her. They needed to get her into the sun and fast Batman thought to himself as they power walked down the hall.

"Ugh…" Kara let out a weak moan slightly opening her eyes looking up at the Flash trying to reach up to him with her left hand.

"I got you." The Flash said in a loving and caring voice. Kara just stared at him pale in the face resting her head against his chest.

They were making it down the hall and they were greeted by another firing squad with a big russian leading them. Batman's eyes widened as he immediately turned around expanding his cape and used his armor to shield The Flash and Kara from the hail of bullets before hurling a flashbang back at the guards before leading the Flash and Kara back to her cell.

"Oh not this again…" The Flash says looking over at Batman giving him the look.

Batman grabs The Flash and throws him down the hole. The Flash slides down the wall shielding Kara and protecting her as he hits the ground. Batman leaps down gliding to the ground then uses a flamethrower on his gauntlet to burn through a padlock kicking in the steel grate. Batman looks over at the Flash who sighs jumping down the hole followed by Batman as the guards drop Supergirl's suspended cell to the ground in a failed attempt to crush them.

The Flash lands on his back using his body to break Kara's fall as Batman gracefully does another awe inspiring hero landing and dramatic pose. The Flash just stares up at him blinking in amazement. Batman watches the Flash groan getting to his feet picking up Kara looking over at Batman.

"Let's go!" Batman orders, leading the way down the darken hallway with Batman taken point.

Like last time they find the lift to the surface, Batman sets the charges decreases the level of the charge to account for the older Barry not being here as the guards close in around them Batman detonates the lift causing them to ride the sky rocketed lift to the surface and into the light of the day where they are hurled to the ground.

They quickly get surrounded by the guards with The Flash rolling over on his back with his hands up. Batman gets to his feet holding his hands up. Kara having been exposed to the yellow sun, her wounds heal, and her body fills out causing the scrawny and boney appearance she had to disappear and color to return to her skin.

Kara opens her eyes floating up into the sky looking down at the Russians who look up in mortal terror at her. Kara looked up at the sun and down at the Russians, she had her strength back and she was angry. Kara also noted The Flash and Batman, her would be rescuers who now needed to be rescued by her.

The guards open fire at her but their bullets just bounce off of her as she glares down at them remembering how they locked her up in that cage, tortured, and experimented on her. Kara let out all her furious rage flying around plowing into them violently taking out scores of them before they could even grasp what was happening to them. Kara slides into the ground smashing into another pile of guards with her back pushing them all away with ease.

The Flash watched her brutal and stunning acts of violence with star struck eyes seeing it all in slow motion. He watched her upper cut one guard away, punching another clear across the surface. Disarmed one of his rifle and tossed him violently into another group of guards then tossed the rifle at a guard who was about to shoot The Flash who was just laying on the ground with his hands up looking at her with star struck eyes.

Kara uses her speed to smack another away from The Flash sending him over the guard rail. Next Kara uses her speed violently to disarm and take down three more guards while Batman beats up the guard in front of him. Kara tosses guards around like rag dolls as The Flash gets to his feet watching Batman and Kara move almost in sync taking down the guards together systematically.

Batman turns around to throw a punch at the guard behind him not even seeing the bullet having already been fired at his neck. Kara pivots off the ground at unreal speed blocking the bullet with that palm of her hand and smacking the guard away. As she passed by Batman she suddenly felt very weak and tired all of a sudden but noticed the feeling went away as she slid across the ground getting distance from him.

The Flash and Batman walk up a fair distance away from Kara who breathes hard feeling a sudden weakness again turning to face them not realizing it was the kryptonite Batman had on his belt. She just assumed she was exhausted from over extending herself from not having used her abilities for so long.

The Batwing rose up behind Kara. The loud noise disorientated Kara as she stumbles forward to The Flash and Batman getting weaker from the Kryptonite. She ended up passing out with The Flash catching her. As Batman drew close to them The Flash saw Kara become weak and pale again with some greenish black veins appearing on her.

"Batman, what's going on? This didn't happen before?" The Flash said with a worried tone.

Batman stares at her reaching for the metallic crystal holding it up seeing her cling and recoil on the Flash. The Flash looks at it and gives Batman an angry look ordering him to get that thing away from her. Flash super speeds on top of the Batwing phasing him and Kara into the cockpit as he carefully straps her in. Batman approaches the Batwing placing the metallic crystal in a panel under the Batwing to retrieve for later as he boards and flies them back to Gotham City.

Back at Wayne Manor in the bathroom Bruce's Batsuit lays all across the ground with drops of his blood everywhere. Bruce was barefooted wearing black sweats and a black t-shirt as he tended to his bruises and wounds smiling at himself in the mirror.

In the dining room Kara laid across the table in the light of the sun with a pillow under her head and a blanket Barry had gently placed on her while he sat in one of the chairs flipping through the news channels looking at the time realizing Zod would be making his message across the world any minute now.

Kara wakes up, then slowly sits up glaring at Barry wearing his yellow jacket, blue dress shirt, white undershirt, with his blue jeans and shoes. Kara carefully removes the blanket getting to her feet as Barry was standing in front of the t.v. flipping through the channels.

"WHO ARE YOU!" Kara yells. Alarming Barry who turns around startled at her as she sways back and forth looking like she is about to pass out again.

"I'm Barry…Barry Allen…" Barry told her. "I was the one in the blue costume, the guy in the giant bat costume who helped me save you, that's Bruce Wayne." Barry explained in a calm voice. Kara just stared at him with clenched fist remembering the man in the bat costume and the one in the blue costume. So that's them Kara thought looking back at Barry.

"What do you want with me?" Kara demanded.

"We were just trying to rescue you." Barry stuttered. He had to becareful what he said to her and what he revealed about the future given her disdain toward humanity after the way they have treated her.

"WHY?" Kara's angry voice echoed.

"Because you needed help." Barry said in a sad voice.

Kara just stared at him and clutched her head with her right hand painfully. Then turned to face Barry leaning against the dinning table as support.

"My name is Kara, daughter of Zor-El." Kara tells Barry trying to not be hostile or distrusting after all they did free her and seem to genuinely want to help her.

Barry Allen and this Bruce Wayne were not like the other humans she encountered then again she didn't know much about this world, culture, or people and she didn't much care given how they kept her locked up in a cage and abused her. Still, until she could figure out her next move she decided to play along though she didn't trust them, not completely. But more importantly now that she is free she needed to find her cousin Kal-El and protect him. That came first.

"Kal-El, the last son of Krypton. My cousin, I need to find him! He was an infant when we left." Kara told Barry.

Barry just gave her a nod and a weak smile. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he never made it to Earth in this universe. So he opted not to say anything, not knowing Zod had caught up to Kal-El's pod and killed him.

"Alright, we will try and help you find him." Barry told her wanting to gain her trust but knowing already they wont be able to find him because he never made it if he was out there Barry wanted to help her find her cousin, her family. Kara looked at him fondly smiling. It has been too long since she had any sort of compassion and kindness shown to her.

"I was sent to protect him." Kara explained.

"Any idea where to start looking?" Barry asked.

"Our pods must have separated…" Kara said in an alarmed voice looking down at the ground then up at the t.v. her eyes widening in horror. Barry gave her a confused look before turning to the t.v. to see General Zod was announcing himself on to the Earth. Barry unmuted the t.v. as they listened to his message.

"General Zod is here? He must have tracked my pod's signal. I have to go!" Kara said with shock and horror…